The hike up was fine, and was pleased with my fitness as its generally uphill most of the way. I passed many a fat American. I stopped occasionally to take photos of the valley floor and surrounding area. Some good views of Half Dome. Pitty it was overcast and dull. Still i made the best of the conditions. Could see mine and Kevin's tent from pretty much all the way at the top.
On getting to the falls, rather than going back down the way i came i wanted to do a loop. For two reasons. One, i wanted to see a Tim Clifford V12 called Park Life which is on the way up from a different approach, and secondly, nobody likes walking down the way they came. So i started scrambling down. Very precariously. I got pretty much all the way down to Lower Yosemite falls, but could not safely go any further. I resigned myself to the fact i was going to have to go all the way backup, and down the way i came up. On the way back up the hill, i was feeling very alone, considering my location, and one slip and i'd be screwed as no one knew i was down there, and no one could see me. It was then that i noticed some very large footprints and some very large poo. Now, i doubt it was a deer, and the area i found myself in was very rocky and had lots of deep caves, i suddenly realised i was way off trail, and i doubt many people come down this far. My mind starts wandering, and i begin to worry about bears. Needless to say i moved along very quickly and very quietly! I will have to quiz my friend Justin who is the bear ranger about the chances of it being a bear. I know he reads my blog, so Justin?
Anyway, i made my way back up the hill and started on the decent back down. Got most of the way down when i got the usual ankle give way. Ouch.
So i will leave you with some picture i took today.
Enjoy.
4 comments:
Funny, I'm glad you weren't mauled by a bear, even though there smaller then some of the tourists you passed.
I'm gonna guess, without quizzing you on the details of the poo, that it was a bear. Second, if you do run into one don't worry too much. Just act like you're the bigger bear and yell at it. That should be enough.
Oh, and it's a good thing you didn't continue down your off trail path because that would've led you to the top of a crag called "the Five Open Books" and then over the cliff :)
Ahhh thanks Justin! Now if id have Kevin with me, the bears would have def thought HE was the bigger bear!
It might be harder to scare wildlife now, as I am beardless.
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